Incinerate
by Chasing Dawn
Summary: "There are doors that shouldn't be opened, just like there are roads you shouldn't take. Be careful, Astrid. The people who use the darkness can break you in ways you could never imagine."
1. Chapter 1

**~Incinerate~**

 **Chapter 1 – "Sunset Horizons"**

" _Trust your heart, let fate decide to guide these lives we see". Disney's Tarzan, "Two Worlds"_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts II. None of its characters belong to me. I make no profit off this work of fiction. The song lyrics I use belong to The Walt Disney Company and its creators. This story is only to amuse me in my spare time and to hopefully be enjoyed by the ones who choose to read it.**

 _Hushed voices murmured above her, the words indistinct._

 _Thick warmth wrapped itself around her, softness cradling her body. A thought flickered through her mind, a question of how long she'd been there briefly rousing her before falling away. Sleep weighed her down, the warmth only adding to the desire to remain as she was. Her limbs were heavy, her knees and elbows oddly stiff. Moving only made it worse._

"… _for the best, my friend," a deep voice stated. "They will not find her there."_

 _The other voice didn't respond, and silence descended upon them. The words seemed important, somehow. She tried to turn her head, but found it only pressed her deeper into the softness. She relaxed, letting the words and everything else drift into a haze of sleep._

 _Something pressed underneath her, lifting her away from the warmth. Too tired to protest, she allowed herself to be settled against an unfamiliar surface. Not as soft as what had been before, but it was warm and living, moving gently with each breath. She became aware of how weak her knees felt, the dead weight of her limbs. Why was she so tired?_

" _Hey, you," a voice whispered, broken with sadness. A pang erupted in her chest, so strong that she was nearly jolted out of her daze. Who…? The thought was hard to hold onto, but she stubbornly clutched it close. It was important. She had to know._

" _ **Astrid?**_ **"**

 _She had to see!_

" _ **Astrid? Honey?"**_

 _Cracking her eyes open felt impossible, but determination won out. It was dark, but a bright light glared at her from the right. Turning away from it, she idly recognized that she was being held. It was hard, but she craned her neck upward, seeing the voice's owner. Silver hair fell around his face, framing brilliant eyes that reminded her of the sea. Her heart jumped in her chest. She knew those eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He looked shocked, but a happy smile illuminated his face. She turned into his embrace, faintly hearing the rhythm of his heart._

I know you.

" _Hey, Charming," she heard herself say, her voice barely more than a rasp. The way he looked at her, so full of happiness and relief, she didn't care._

" _ **Astrid."**_

" _Hey," he whispered back, holding her close. Her cheek rested against his chest, and she reveled in his closeness. Something inside her eased, pulling her back into the warmth. She knew she was safe here, with him. "I missed you."_

" _ **Astrid, get up!"**_

No, let me stay… _she was aware of someone shaking her, trying to jar her awake._

" _ **Astrid!"**_

I want to stay with him! _She tried to pull him close, but her body was too heavy and he was drifting away from her._

"Astrid!"

A jolt wracked her entire body from head to toe. Her eyes shot open, heart beating wildly while her throat seized up. She thought she might cry. She tried to remember what she'd been dreaming about, but it was gone. All that remained was a sadness she couldn't explain.

"Honey?" Turning her head, she cringed as her neck cracked, sending pain down her shoulder and through her cheek. Her mother sat on the bed beside her, a frown of worry creasing her forehead. "There you are, sleepyhead. I've been trying to get you up for ten minutes!"

"…hey," was the best she could manage. Closing her eyes against the sunlight streaming in from the open window, she stretched, feeling her joints pop sickeningly. She felt like she could sleep for a year and still not feel awake. A quick glance at the clock on the bedside table told her it was nearly two o'clock.

"Marie's here. She said you two were going out shopping today."

"Oh, shit," she groaned. _Not again._

"Astrid," her mom warned.

"Sorry, sorry." She threw back the blankets, her shoulders and knees cracking as she sat up. "Tell her I'll be down in just a second." Getting to her feet unsteadily, she wobbled her way over to the closet. She felt as though she'd been hit by a truck. Her mom remained sitting on the bed, watching her with exasperation.

"Do you really think it's fair to keep doing this to her?"

"Thanks, Mom, make me feel worse."

"Do you?" Her mom challenged. "You just don't seem to care anymore. You sleep half the day away, and whenever you do come down you're like a different person." Irritation crawled up Astrid's spine, tightening the back of her neck. She opened the closet doors, wondering if she'd find anything clean from the pile on the floor. Kicking away a pair of jeans she knew was dirty, she looked deeper, hoping her mom would get the hint. "Not going to say anything, then?"

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I just overslept. I'll be down in a minute." An agonizingly long, awkward moment passed before her mom sighed and left the room. She shut the door slightly harder than necessary, letting Astrid know she'd be in for it later. She sighed herself, resting her forehead against the closet door. Exhaustion swept through her, her body feeling like lead was pumping through her veins. Forcing herself upright, she pulled out the first shirt she saw and a pair of jeans that looked decently clean. Stepping into them slowly, her eyes closed of their own accord, itchy and irritated. Pulling the shirt over her head, she tiredly reached over and grabbed her perfume, spraying a cloud around her head. Putting on deodorant felt like a monumental effort. A quick glance in the mirror had her cringing. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, her skin unusually pale. _I look like a dead person._

Figuring Marie would forgive her for a few more minutes, she stepped into the bathroom. Brushing her teeth and putting on makeup took longer than it should have, but Marie wouldn't mind. Risking another look in the mirror, she contemplated her appearance.

Black hair fell to the middle of her back, far too long for the summer. Makeup had lessened the dark circles, but she still looked distinctly tired. The bright red shirt she'd pulled on at least made her skin look less dead-looking. Deciding that she could get away with not brushing her hair, she walked back to her room where her purse was. Making sure her wallet and keys were in their rightful places, she headed downstairs.

Her mom was sitting at the island in the kitchen, talking animatedly to Marie. A notepad was between them, with a word written in large block letters. Marie was nodding, a small frown on her face. This scene wasn't anything new. Marie liked to listen, and that trait gave free reign to chatterboxes. More often than not, Marie would be found sitting and listening to someone talking about everything and nothing, just like now.

"It's just the strangest thing," her mom was saying, shaking her head. "How can someone steal something like that?"

"I don't know," Marie said, looking equally troubled. "One of mine was taken, too."

"One of your what?" Astrid regretted the question, as her mother raked her with a disappointed look. Marie turned to her, a small smile greeting her. _At least one person doesn't hate me,_ she thought sourly. Marie pushed the notepad towards her, her expression suddenly flabbergasted.

"A lot of people around town have lost -." Astrid looked up at the sudden silence, confused. Marie rolled her eyes and mouthed a word exaggeratingly.

"Spit it out," Astrid said with a small laugh. Marie gave her a look.

"Don't you think I would if I could? Nobody can say -." Marie's lips moved, but no sound came out. Astrid looked closely at her mouth, then looked to the notepad. The word written there was smeared and illegible, but she thought she recognized what Marie was trying to say.

"Nobody can say -?" Her heart jumped in her chest. She tried again, but nothing came out. It was as if her voice had been snatched from her. "What the hell?!"

"That's what we've been trying to figure out," Marie responded, looking disturbed. "I mean, you can guess what I'm saying, and everyone knows what's been stolen, but to somehow take the word too? That's screwed up."

"Marie was telling me that a lot of people have lost…their things," her mom said, pursing her lips. "Apparently Seifer's blaming Hayner and his friends."

"He would," Astrid snorted. "But even Seifer can't blame them for taking a word, can he?" _This is so weird,_ she thought with a shiver. _What does it mean?_ For a moment she felt more awake than she had in weeks.

"He's doing all he can to make it look like they did," Marie said wryly. She pushed back from the table, getting to her feet. "Well, there's not much we can do about it until the - get returned. You still want to go out?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Astrid said, attempting a smile. Anything would be better than facing her mom's disappointment. The tiredness swept through her as she left the kitchen and headed out the door. "We'll be back around dinner," she called over her shoulder.

"It was nice to see you again, Adalyn," Marie said, smiling at Astrid's mom as she followed Astrid.

"You too, honey. You're welcome to stay for dinner if you like!" She called, waving goodbye before shutting the door behind them. Marie smiled and nudged her, saying hello in her quiet way. Astrid felt a familiar wave of guilt wash over her. It wasn't the first time Marie had waited for her.

"You want to get tea before we shop?" Marie asked before she could apologize. She smiled, and Astrid relaxed. Marie always knew what to say and what was needed.

They headed up the hill to Market Street, the incline making Astrid's already sore knees ache. _This must be what old people feel like,_ she thought, wondering what she'd done to make them hurt so badly. The sun was at its usual place in the sky, looking like it was just about to set. Except for nighttime and the early morning, the sun never moved, bathing the town in perpetual twilight. The orange cast to the buildings and roads used to make Astrid think of warm, cozy afternoons, but now it just seemed bland. _Nothing ever changes here._ They waited for a tram to pass by, waving to the people on board. At least, Marie managed a real wave; Astrid merely lifted a hand.

Astrid spotted Seifer walking towards them and decided it was worth the effort of an actual wave. He nodded at them in return, his eyes lingering on Marie. Not that she noticed; she kept her eyes forward, purposely avoiding looking at him. "Tell me if you see Hayner or any of his loser friends," he called as he walked by. "I've got a score to settle." Marie rolled her eyes, not bothering to be subtle about it.

"He's a bully," she defended as she noticed Astrid's look. "I hate how everyone lets him get away with it."

"He's on the Disciplinary Committee," Astrid reasoned. She liked Seifer. Marie wasn't wrong, Seifer definitely used his power as the Head of the Disciplinary Committee to intimidate anyone he didn't like, but he was refreshingly honest. He'd been that way ever since they were kids.

"He's a bully," Marie reiterated.

"He likes you, too." Marie actually spluttered. Her face turned bright red despite her nonchalant shrug.

"So that's a reason to pretend he's not an asshole?"

"No, I'm just saying that he does." Astrid laughed and nudged her. "Come on, I'm just teasing."

"Not funny. The day I date Seifer is the day hell freezes over."

Astrid privately thought the two of them would be good together. Seifer had had a crush on Marie for years, but had never said a word to her. Marie had never realized, mostly because she didn't like Seifer, but also because she didn't think she was pretty enough to warrant such attention. While Marie was very short, barely reaching five feet (not that Astrid could brag, being only two inches taller), she was incredibly pretty when she actually gave a shit about her looks. She'd traded in her glasses for contacts today, the shorts she wore showed off toned legs from biking and walking everywhere, and her curly brown hair was tied back in a neat ponytail with artful strands framing her face. It helped that she had a good tan from the summer. It would take time, but if Seifer and Marie ever dated Astrid thought it would benefit them both. _But it won't happen anytime soon,_ Astrid thought with disappointment.

They stopped at a tiny café near the mall, waving hello to Sarah as they approached the counter. She sported a black visor with the letters SDC emblazoned in gold across the front, and wore a black apron over a white t-shirt with the same letters across the chest. Sarah had been working at the Sunset Delights Café since they'd started high school, and she remained loyal to the job despite the ridiculous name. Marie had gotten a job there for the summer, and she and Sarah were already fast friends. _If she wasn't so perky, I'd like her more,_ Astrid mused. "Hey, Marie! Two chai teas, right?" Sarah announced before Astrid or Marie could say anything.

"It's like you know," Marie said with a grin. Sarah smiled back.

"Want a muffin this time?"

"Sure. Blueberry," Marie responded, glancing over at Astrid to see if she wanted anything else. Astrid shrugged and nodded. "Two blueberry muffins, then." Marie raised an eyebrow at her as Astrid hesitated. She grinned apologetically, and Marie rolled her eyes before rooting around for more change. Astrid had tried to get a job for the summer too, but the café had only wanted one extra hand and nowhere else was hiring. Marie never minded spotting her. _I probably owe her a thousand munny by this point, though._

"I'll pay you back," Astrid promised as she took their order number from Sarah.

"Next time," Marie agreed. The café wasn't crowded at this time of the day, but they still took their usual spot in the very back, the tiny booth hidden behind a row of potted plants and a large cabinet that stored extra cutlery and plastic containers. Astrid placed the number on the table and sat down with a relieved sigh, immediately resting her head on her arms. Marie sat down across from her, and jokingly patted her on the head. "You okay, friend?" Astrid snorted, lifting her head.

"Yeah, fine." She closed her eyes, fighting the urge to rub at them. "Just tired."

"You sure?" Marie pressed.

"Marie," Astrid started, exasperated.

"Don't give me that. This has gone on for pretty much the whole summer." Astrid was surprised by the edge in Marie's voice. Stubbornness was an odd look for her, but she was pulling it off. Astrid felt that pull of guilt in her stomach again. "Tell me what's going on. I'm worried about you."

She went quiet as Sarah brought their food over. The tray Sarah placed before them had all the things for tea, and even a pat of butter for the muffins. "Thanks, Sarah," Marie said when the silence stretched on. Sarah said something cheery in response, but Astrid didn't hear it. She was trying to think of how to answer Marie.

"I don't know why I've been so tired," she said, watching as Marie doctored her tea. She always ordered the same thing, and always added milk and cinnamon to her drink. "It doesn't matter how much I sleep, I just wake up that way." Marie's annoyance softened into concern.

"You aren't staying up late or anything? Are you on the computer before you go to bed?" _She sounds like someone's mother._ "What?" She said defensively as Astrid gave her a look. "I'm just asking."

"No. I barely stay up past nine these days. And I read before I go to bed anyway."

"So it's not anything you're doing," Marie said musingly. She took a sip of her tea and broke off a piece of her muffin. "Do you dream at all?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't know, I'm just throwing it out there. Maybe the kinds of dreams you have affect how deeply you're sleeping? My mom was talking about it the other day, she was saying-" Astrid tuned her out, focusing on fixing her own tea. Marie's mother had been a nurse and was currently a women's health educator. She was always going on about hormones and feelings. Normally it was interesting, but now it just made her head feel even heavier. She dumped more sugar into her tea than usual, hoping the added dose would wake her up. Sipping her drink, she watched Marie's mouth move as she theorized what was causing her sleeplessness. _It feels like I was hit by a truck and broken into pieces; how would hormones explain that?_

"-'re in danger-"

Astrid's head shot up. " _What_?"

"What?" Marie repeated, alarmed.

"What did you say?" Astrid asked, unsure if she was more frightened by the words or by Marie's ominous tone.

"I said that this is in danger of becoming a problem," Marie responded, looking at her strangely. "You know that, right? It can't be healthy for you to just sleep all day. You have to get out more."

"Yeah," Astrid responded slowly, unsure why her heart was suddenly racing.

"Maybe you and I could start going on walks every day. Fresh air, exercise. It couldn't hurt, right?" The hopeful look on Marie's face made her stomach twist. _She's trying so hard_. Time after time she'd blown Marie off, thinking that she'd understand. The whole summer had passed and they'd spent maybe two days of it together. More than that, it was always Marie who'd contacted her, Marie who made the plans. Astrid realized in that moment how much she'd taken Marie for granted.

"I'm sorry," she said through a hard lump in her throat.

"Hey," Marie protested. "Don't do that. It's okay."

"No, it's really not. I'm a shitty friend."

"Sometimes." The unexpected barb and Marie's accompanying grin startled a laugh out of her. "I just want to know that you're okay." She smiled, and the relief that swept through Astrid was dizzying. "Love you, friend."

"Love you, friend," Astrid answered. They finished their tea, talking about the upcoming school year and what it would hold for them. Astrid led the way out of the café, feeling lighter than she could remember. _I'll make it up to her_ , she promised silently.

As she stepped through the door something whipped past her.

She staggered, gasping as pain flashed across her forehead. Lifting her hand her head, she stared, unable to comprehend what she was looking at.

Something silver and fluid was catapulting itself away, sliding into a vaguely human shape before darting down the hill.

"Astrid?" Marie turned to face her and gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "What the hell just happened?!"

"I don't know," she said shakily, pulling her hand away. Red stained her fingers. "It cut me!"

"What cut you? I didn't see anything." Marie looked around anxiously. "We need to get you to the doctor."

"No." She started after it slowly, compelled by something she couldn't name. "I think I've…seen that thing before!"

"Astrid, wait!" She heard Marie scream behind her, but she couldn't stop. She charged after the creature, sprinting past startled shoppers, down the Market Street hill, until she came to the Sandlot. She was barely out of breath, feeling more alive than she had in months, when she found Seifer and his gang.

"Astrid! What happened to you?" Seifer demanded, catching her as she ran by. "You're bleeding!"

"Where'd it go?" She asked, her mad dash catching up with her. She gulped down air, fighting down a wave of dizziness. She noticed that Seifer had massive bruises on his right arm and his cheek, but was too preoccupied to question it. "That silver thing, where'd it go?"

"The thief?" Seifer's grip on her arm didn't loosen. "Hayner and his loser friends ran after it. I think they split up." Seifer gestured towards the alleyway.

"The thief?" Astrid repeated, confused, until she remembered what Marie and her mother had been talking about. "I need to find it." She made to slip out of Seifer's hold, but Seifer actually tugged her back, squeezing hard to keep her in place. "You're hurting me. Let go!"

"Astrid, they'll take care of it," he said insistently. "Stay here, you're hurt."

"Let go, Seifer!" She ripped herself out of his hold, running towards the alleyway. She heard Seifer and the others calling to her, but she couldn't bring herself to listen.

" _Astrid, turn back!_ " was the last voice she heard before spying Roxas running through the gaping hole that led into the woods. Not daring to stop in case Seifer caught up with her, she hurtled through the broken wall into the dark forest.

She could hear footsteps in the distance, the sound of branches breaking interrupting the otherwise silent place. The Twilight Town woods were enormous, over five hundred acres of tall trees casting dark shadows on the ground. Only a bare amount of sunlight broke through the leafy canopy, leaving the entire wood dark and quiet. Astrid remembered playing games in the dark with Marie, Seifer, and his friends, anticipation making them scream more often than being actually scared. She loved this place, loved its silence and its welcoming atmosphere.

It was a surprise that she suddenly felt afraid.

She went further into the woods, hopping over enormous roots and avoiding the trees. Finding the path was difficult, but Astrid had walked through the woods all her life. She knew the quickest ways to get to the mansion that lay on the other side of the forest. She listened carefully, but couldn't hear Roxas's footsteps. She couldn't even hear birds, or the scurrying of small animals.

When she realized the forest was perfectly silent, the silver creature suddenly plummeted from the canopy, landing gracefully not five feet from her. She stopped, nearly overbalancing in her suddenly halt, and stared at the strange thing before her.If it had been darker she might have taken it for a person. The thing had two legs, two arms, and a head, but that was where all human resemblance ended. Its body was silver, with black bands running up its sides and down its skinny legs. The bands dimly flashed as the creature moved. It had no fingers or toes, but fused flesh that ended in points. It was unnaturally thin, its limbs loose and slinky. The way it swayed back and forth, its head lolling from side to side, made it appear boneless. Its head was triangular with a strange, gaping mouth with zippers shining in the corners, the lips sprouting ragged teeth. On top of its head was a strange symbol…

Astrid suddenly couldn't breathe. Her chest seized up, her heart hammering in her ears. Terror overwhelmed her, her eyes filling with tears. _I don't…understand!_ She panicked, trying to gasp out a breath, but her body wouldn't obey. She crashed to the ground, her vision swimming, the creature blurring into nothingness. She gasped again and again, trying to breathe. She felt far away, the constrictive hold on her chest and throat blocking out every thought, every emotion. All she knew was that she wanted her mother, wanted Marie…wanted _anyone._

" **Begone!"**

"Astrid? Astrid!"

She gasped, her chest heaving as she began to cough. Dizziness swamped her, a grey haze overcoming her vision before suddenly clearing. She breathed deeply, her throat scraped raw with each breath. She looked up, seeing a boy with wild blonde hair gently shaking her shoulder. "You okay?" He asked, concerned. His deep blue eyes were wide. "What happened?"

"Roxas?" She winced at the soreness in her throat. "Hey," she said weakly, pushing herself to her knees. "There was a…thing. A silver creature. I followed it to the woods." Roxas went very still, his tanned face going pale.

"You saw it, too?"

"Astrid!"

They both jumped. Marie and Seifer were sprinting towards them, Marie reaching her side first. "Are you okay? What the hell were you thinking, running off like that?" She demanded, looking close to tears. "Oh, your poor head!"

"It's not bleeding anymore," Roxas tried to reassure, but he was pushed aside by Seifer. Astrid reached up, cringing as pain seared across her head. Seifer leaned in close, inspecting the cut, while Marie went on about how worried she'd been.

"It's not too bad," Seifer announced after a moment. "It's just a head wound, Marie. They always look bad."

"You're sure?" Marie asked tearfully. Neither of them noticed when Roxas quietly walked away, holding something in his hand. Seifer nodded, for once devoid of his cocky smirk.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. She's tough as nails, our Astrid." Seifer reached over and gently squeezed Marie's hand. Astrid tried not to smile. Marie noticed how close she and Seifer were sitting and quickly stood, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Okay, good. I'll, um, I'll take her home. Your mom has a first-aid kit, right?"

"Probably," Astrid said, slowly getting to her feet. Exhaustion engulfed her, causing her knees to wobble. Seifer caught her, telling her to slow down. Marie went to stand on her other side, and they slowly walked her home. Astrid nodded as they said soothing platitudes, but all she wanted to do was cry. _I was actually awake for the first time in forever, and then I was so afraid. What happened to me? What was that creature?_

 _Who was that voice at the end?_

"Astrid! What have you done to yourself?" She looked up, startled. She hadn't realized they'd walked so far; they were standing on her front porch. Her mom took over supporting her, asking Seifer and Marie what had happened. Astrid was glad they weren't asking anything of her. She was sure she'd burst into tears if they asked her a question.

Her mom brought her upstairs to her room. "Oh, honey," she whispered, looking distraught. "You must have hit your head so _hard_."

"I didn't hit my head, I was-"

"Don't worry about the details," she interrupted, urging her to sit on her bed. "Can you get into your PJ's on your own?"

"Yeah, Mom," she responded, glad her mom was there despite her overprotectiveness.

"I'm going to get you some water. Once you've changed, you drink that down and go right to bed, okay? You'll feel better after some sleep. And don't get on me about how I already said you were sleeping too much," she warned, trying to smile.

"Wasn't going to," Astrid said without any heat. Contradicting her mom hadn't even crossed her mind. _I would have, before._ Now she was too tired to even think, let alone raise an argument. After her mom left, she tiredly changed, dragging her pajamas on before collapsing onto the pillow. She was already drifting off, but she knew deep in her gut that it was wrong.

 _I want to be awake…I don't want to be tired anymore._

" **I'm sorry. It has to be this way."**

The man sitting at the computer closed his eyes.

He thought she would be safe there, even with the Nobody in the simulation. He never would have believed that the Organization could catch up with them so fast. As much as his heart was telling him to pull her out and find another safe haven, he knew that would only give the enemy more ways to enter the simulation. The world he'd created was meant to stay static. Any interruption would cause those not made of data to become aware that their world was not all it seemed.

His right hand clenched into a fist. _I just need a little more time._

"I'm sorry," he told the sleeping girl, regret in every word. "It has to be this way."


	2. Chapter 2

**~Incinerate~**

 **Chapter 2 – The Afternoon Streets**

" _The daily things that keep us all busy are confusing me". Utada Hikaru, "Simple and Clean"._

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts II. None of its characters belong to me. I make no profit off this work of fiction. The song lyrics I use belong to The Walt Disney Company and its creators. This story is only to amuse me in my spare time and to hopefully be enjoyed by the ones who choose to read it.**

"Astrid! Honey, I know it's a bit early, but-" Her mom opened the door. "Oh! You're awake!"

"It's a miracle, I know." Astrid smirked in an attempt at humor. It was nine in the morning, and she'd been up since eight. She was sitting at her desk, crumpled pieces of paper littering the surface. She had the final result of her work in front of her. "I slept pretty well and woke up at a decent time, for once," she said as explanation. Her mom smiled, crossing the room to stand at her side. She stroked Astrid's hair, smoothing away her bangs to look at her forehead.

"The cut doesn't look as bad today," she commented.

"Doesn't hurt at all." Astrid hesitated for a moment before making a decision. "Mom, have you ever seen anything like this?" Astrid held up her sketch. It was the creature from the day before, as best she could remember. She couldn't quite capture the thing's fluidity on paper, but she didn't draw it to get an exact replica. She just wanted to know that the thing was real. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd somehow seen it before. Her mom took the page, examining it silently.

"Is this like those shadow things you used to draw?"

"No," Astrid replied, shaking her head. It was funny that her mom mentioned them so nonchalantly. The first time Astrid had ever shown her the shadow drawings, she'd lost her mind. The lesson Astrid had taken from her mom's hysterics was that parents didn't like seeing dark, twisted things coming from their kids. Marie had had a similar experience with some of the poems and stories she'd written. "Mom, this thing was what cut me-"

"It's an interesting drawing, honey. Anyway, I came in here because I got you a job!"

"A job?" Astrid parroted back, feeling hurt. Her mom had _never_ shut her down like that. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Did you hear what _I_ said?" Her mom asked, irritated. "Tom came by this morning, trying to put posters on the windows. When I asked what in the world he was doing, he admitted that he was a bit overwhelmed. You know how he's been in charge of the Struggle tournament every year? He's desperate for some help, so I volunteered you for the day. He's promised to pay five hundred munny if you put up posters for him." Her mom beamed at her, her smile falling when she saw the look on Astrid's face. "I thought you'd be thrilled. You've been complaining all summer about not having any munny. Here's your chance! I doubt he'll pay that much again."

"I guess," Astrid agreed reluctantly. It sounded like hot, boring work. "I'll call Marie, see if she wants to do some drudgery with me."

"Marie's at work."

" _You_ called her? Come on, Mom!"

"I thought you wouldn't get up unless you had some motivation. Besides, you're a big girl, you don't need Marie with you everywhere you go. And anyway, you need to start getting your butt out of bed at a decent time. School's coming up soon. Now, Tom will meet you at the Sandlot in an hour, so go get in the shower, get dressed, and head out there." Her mom leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "It'll be good for you, honey." With that she left the room, leaving Astrid in a bit of a stupor. She shook her head slowly, wondering if the whole world was going crazy.

Pulling a pair of capris and a blue, short-sleeved shirt out of her closet, she went to the bathroom. _Just do it for the munny,_ she told herself, but a nagging thought followed her. _Why was Mom avoiding talking about that thing? Was she freaked out and trying not to show it? I know she didn't like the shadows I drew._ They'd never talked about it after that, and Astrid learned to keep her drawings to herself. She had more drawings of shadow creatures in a book underneath her mattress. But that creature from the day before hadn't just been a drawing. It had cut her. Astrid glanced in the mirror as she began to undress. The cut was barely there anymore, which came as a surprise considering how much it had bled. Now it was just a faint mark, nearly invisible.

Astrid gasped as she looked in the mirror again, spotting something she'd never seen before.

She had a scar running down her chest. Alarmed, she pulled off her bra and looked closer, feeling the scar with her fingertips. It ran from the top of her left collarbone to just underneath her right breast. The scar was pale, barely showing up against her skin, but she could feel the raised mark clearly. _Where the hell did I get this?_ She thought, straining to think. Had she hurt herself in a Struggle match? She and Seifer occasionally fought just for fun, and they had left their marks on each other. _This looks like a cut, though._

Three hard knocks on the door made her jump violently. "Honey! You have to get a move on! Tom won't wait all day!" Her mom called. Clapping a hand over her heart, Astrid stared at the door. Once her heart stopped racing, she leaned over to the tub faucet and turned it, yanking the valve up to turn on the shower. Waiting for the water to heat up, she traced the scar again. _This is scary,_ she thought uneasily. What could leave a mark like that? She tried to think of what could have happened as she showered, but no matter what she thought she couldn't place it.

Drying herself off and hastily brushing her hair, a thought struck her. _Could that creature have cut me again when I passed out?_ But the scar didn't hurt, and it looked too healed to have been anything recent. She dressed, put on makeup and deodorant, and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Mom? You don't remember me coming home with any gaping wounds, do you?" She asked as she entered the kitchen. Her mom was putting a box of cereal on the table, where the milk, a spoon, and a cut up apple was already waiting.

"What?" Her mom sounded distracted.

"I just saw this weird scar on my chest, and for the life of me I can't remember where-"

"Sorry, Astrid, I have to run. Work called me in. There's stuff for sandwiches in the fridge, and I should be home for dinner. I'll bring home pizza. Love you, and have fun with the job, okay?" Her mom pecked her on the cheek and was out the door before Astrid could protest.

"That's the second time you've blown me off today!" She called after her, frustration gnawing at her. _Why does no one want to talk to me?_ She sat down heavily, grumbling all the way through her breakfast. She put the dishes in the sink without washing them, ran upstairs to quickly brush her teeth, and stormed out of the house. She wanted to stomp all the way to the Sandlot, but she discovered that stomping in sandals was highly impractical. She found Tom standing in front of the community announcements board, looking anxious. He was a portly man with two thin wisps of a mustache on the corners of his mouth. The brown mop on his head was styled upward, as if he had taken a large comb, dunked it into a tub of gel, and slicked his hair up. Despite the sweltering heat of the summer he wore heavy brown pants, a long-sleeved green shirt, and a bright yellow vest that clashed wonderfully with the rest of his outfit. She could smell the sweat coming off him as she approached.

"Astrid! Good to see you, my dear, good to see you!" Tom reached over, grabbing her hand and pumping it wildly. Astrid covertly wiped her hand on her pants as he turned away, making a face at how wet his palm had been. "The tournament is just two days away, and I have over four hundred posters to put up! I've just been running behind, I can't imagine how I let things slide like this!" _The same way you let things slide every year?_ Astrid thought. Not a summer had gone by without Tom losing his mind over something or other concerning the Struggle tournament. The man absolutely loved Struggle, but the best he was good for was coordinating matches; everything else he let fall to the wayside until someone pitied him enough to help. _Lucky me, I got shanghaied into helping you this time,_ she thought as he continued to babble.

"Now," he said loudly as he turned back to her. Astrid forced a smile. "I want the majority of the posters to be on the sign boards around town, but don't be afraid to ask the stores if they'd be willing to have a poster up in their windows or on the walls. Put them where you think they'll be noticed! I have the posters, the paste, and pins in the wagon. I'll come and check on you in a few hours. Thank you again, my dear!" Tom grinned happily at her before trundling off towards his office. "I'll be working on the registry for the tournament!" He paused. "You don't want to sign up right now, do you?"

"No, thanks. I'm not going to enter the tournament this year," she called back. Tom visibly deflated, but nodded. The longer a Struggle tournament was, the happier Tom would be. Astrid knew that she was too tired to be a good Struggle combatant this year. _Hell,_ Vivi _could probably take me down._ She looked down at the rickety wooden wagon Tom had provided her with and sighed. There were four large stacks of posters, each teetering over the edge of the wagon's rails. _Better get started._ She pinned three posters up on the sign board where Tom had been standing. The blue of the posters brightened the drab corkboard. They had a Struggle bat held triumphantly by a gloved hand. The word 'STRUGGLE' was emblazoned at the top against a white header, and 'FIGHT' underscored the hand holding the bat. They were pretty basic compared to last year's, but Tom had just said he'd been running behind. _Only three hundred and ninety-seven to go._

The work was just as hot and boring as she'd thought. She quickly fell into a routine, rolling the paste onto walls and putting up the posters, while putting up the posters with pins on the actual sign boards. The paste stuck to her fingers, and every fifty posters or so she had to run inside a store to wash her hands. Her shirt struck to her skin, and no matter how often she pulled the material away and fanned herself, it managed to cling to her just as tightly. Seifer and his gang saw her about two hours into her work and razzed her about the stupidity of the job. She took it without insult, telling herself that she'd been five hundred munny richer when the damn job was over.

"You want to meet me and Marie later?" She asked, smiling to herself as Seifer went quiet. Rai quickly agreed, Fuu nodded tersely, and Vivi nodded happily, always glad to be included. Seifer muttered a quick "Sure" before making up the excuse that they had to continue their rounds. _He's got it so bad,_ she thought amusedly. She finished the Tram Common area and moved onto Market Street, heading her way up the hill to the train station when someone called out to her. Looking up, she spotted Roxas heading her way. He had a bag slung over his shoulder, which looked crammed full.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey. I never had a chance to give you these yesterday." He dug into the bag at his side and produced two photos. "They were in the pile of photos left behind by the thief."

"You can say photo now?!" Astrid was shocked and delighted that she, too, could say the word. "Finally! Did you ever find out who the thief was? And how he managed to steal the word too?"

"No," Roxas said, sounding disappointed. Astrid took the pictures from him. One was definitely Marie's. It was the one pinned to her bedroom mirror, of her and Astrid at the top of the Ferris wheel at the fair. They were eating ice cream and grinning at the camera. The other one was of her by herself, making a drawing. Her legs were tucked up, with the sketchbook balanced on her knees. She couldn't remember ever having seen the picture. It looked pretty recent, although she looked a lot livelier than she did now. _Must be one of Mom's._

"Thanks. I'll bring it to Marie once I'm done here." Astrid gestured to her wagon with a self-depreciating grin. "The things you do for munny, right?" Roxas grinned.

"I know what you mean. Hayner, Pence, Olette, and I wanted to go to the beach today, but we're broke. I've been delivering letters to people all morning." Roxas patted the bag.

"Oh, that sounds fun." She hadn't gone to the beach this summer, having slept most of it away. _Maybe Marie and I can go before it gets too cold,_ she mused to herself. "Well, good luck. I have to finish this before I get heat stroke." She grabbed the wagon handle and made to move on, but the look on Roxas's face made her pause. "What's up?"

"Astrid, about yesterday…" Roxas actually looked around to make sure no one was listening, and leaned closer. "You said you saw a silver thing go into the woods, right?"

Astrid suddenly felt cold despite the heat of the day. "Yeah. It was just before I passed out."

"No one else seems to remember it. I brought it up today and nobody knew what I was talking about." Roxas's eyes fixed on her. Those big blue eyes held so much emotion: fear, uncertainty, fragile hope.

"The same thing's been happening to me!" Astrid couldn't get the words out fast enough. _Finally, someone's talking about it!_ "Everyone keeps dodging me whenever I mention it." Roxas's relief was palpable.

"I thought I was going crazy," he admitted. "I thought maybe I'd imagined it." He then looked troubled. "So it did happen, then." He shook his head ruefully, but Astrid knew exactly what he meant. "Listen, what happened before you passed out? Did it hurt you?"

"Yeah! I was with Marie, and we were just leaving the café when it ran by. Look," she urged, drawing her bangs away from her forehead. "It's faint now, but that thing cut me before it went to the woods." Roxas squinted, frowning slightly. "I'm not making this up, Roxas, I swear it cut me!" Astrid lowered her voice; she'd nearly shouted at him. She felt jittery, like she could cry or scream. All she felt was that _something_ had to happen, _something_ had to move out of her.

"I know, I was there," he said hastily, reassuring her. "It's weird that it healed so fast, though. You were bleeding a lot when I caught up with you." He looked again, a troubled look coming over his face. "So it didn't hurt you after?"

"No. I went into the woods right after you did. When I saw it, I suddenly felt so afraid. I couldn't breathe…I couldn't do anything. I guess I fainted, and when I came to you were there." Astrid took a deep breath, trying to steady that jittery feeling crawling beneath her skin. "What did it do to you?"

"Hello there, Roxas!" _Not again!_ Astrid watched as Tom trundled up to them, grinning despite the sweat pouring down his face.

"Hello, sir," Roxas replied, looking pained.

"I saw your name on the Struggle registry; good for you, son! I can't wait for another exciting tournament this year!" Tom's belly wobbled as he bounced on the balls of his face. Astrid suppressed a shudder. "And good work, Astrid! You've put up almost all the posters! And in such a short amount of time!"

"I sure have!" Astrid said with sarcastic cheer. "Roxas and I were just talking, he's going to keep me company while I put up the rest of the posters." Roxas smirked.

"I'm not paying you to talk." Astrid was so caught off guard by Tom's tone that she simply stared, unable to reply. Roxas looked equally stunned. Tom was glaring – actually glaring – his presence suddenly looming and unfriendly. "I think it'd be best if you did the job I hired you to do, Astrid. And I'm sure you have better things to do than distract her, Roxas."

"I…I'm sorry, Tom," Astrid managed to stammer.

"He's right. I have to deliver these letters anyway," Roxas said awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood. "I'll catch up with you later, okay?" He said to her, running off before she could reply. She watched him race down Market Street, unsure of what she'd done wrong and how to make Tom see that.

"Why don't you take a little break, Astrid? You've been working so hard, you deserve it!"

She unabashedly stared at him. Tom was suddenly all smiles and good cheer, practically radiating contentment. "Sir?" She offered, confused.

"I insist," he said firmly. "Why don't you get some ice cream? It's such a hot day, and it'll make the rest of the job go by a little easier." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet, fiddling through it before handing her a ten-munny note. "A little bonus for doing such a great job! Once you're finished, come find me at my office. I'll pay you the rest there." He patted her on the shoulder and walked away, leaving her thoughts in complete disorder.

"What the hell just happened?" She asked out loud, ignoring the look a passerby gave her. She looked at the munny Tom had given her, the bill hot and somewhat sticky, before walking to the ice cream store, pulling the wagon half-heartedly behind her. She gave some sort of greeting to the owner of the store, purchased a bar of sea-salt ice cream, and took it to one of the picnic tables outside. She dropped the wagon's handle and sat down, puzzling through Tom's bipolar attitude. _I've never seen him angry. Not even when he's been stressed over the tournament,_ she thought, taking a bite of the ice cream. The salty sweetness of the treat made her mouth water. _So why did he get so pissed over us talking? And the minute Roxas left he went back to normal. Is it because of what happened yesterday? Do people still think he's a thief? But he returned all the photos!_

Astrid finished her ice cream, checking the stick to see if she was a winner. She wasn't. _Well, that just sums up my life, doesn't it?_ Sighing to herself, she tossed the stick away and continuing on with putting up posters. She tried to work through what had been happening over the last two days, but had no luck figuring it out. She put up the last poster just as the clock tower boomed out what time it was. Only one gong sounded, and Astrid was starting to get tired and hungry.

Tom hadn't reverted back to his angry self. He was actually astounded that she'd completed the job so quickly. He was overly thankful as he handed over the munny, asking if she'd be available over the next couple days. "If you're interested, there's still lots to be done before the tournament!"

"I'll think about it," Astrid said with a smile, but rolled her eyes as she went out the door. She made a quick stop at the bank to deposit her payload before heading home. She collapsed on the couch with a groan of satisfaction, revelling in the air conditioning. She stayed that way for about ten minutes before boredom set in. She made herself a sandwich before turning on her computer and her game console. As she waited for the computer to start, she chose a _Star Wars_ game out of the stack beside the TV. The plot was set thousands of years before the actual movies, and it was just as good as the original trilogy. As the game began its intro scene, Astrid finished her sandwich and turned back to her computer, logging onto the Twilight Town Messenger Service. She found Marie's name and typed out a question.

 **/To: Marie Skywalker080**

 **From: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **Astrid says:** hey. You around tonight? Bored. **/**

Astrid remembered a beat later that Marie was at work. She groaned, hoping that Marie wasn't working the late shift. She turned back towards her game. She was about halfway through it, but previous a play-through had warned her of the upcoming level. She was currently on Tatooine, working on buffing her character. She'd levelled up three times and was ready to face the Krayt Dragon in its lair when she heard a familiar chime coming from her computer. Pausing the game, she whirled around and checked her messages.

 **/To: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **From: Marie Skywalker080**

 **Marie says:** Hey! Sorry, was at work. Just finished. You want to do a movie after dinner? Too tired to walk lol. **/**

Astrid tapped out her reply.

 **/To: Marie Skywalker080**

 **From: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **Astrid says:** yeah, sounds fun your house or mine? And can Seifer & co. come? **/**

It took a while for Marie to reply. By that point Astrid had killed the dragon and was facing Darth Bandon and his Dark Jedi when her response came.

 **/To: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **From: Marie Skywalker080**

 **Marie says:** you already invited them, didn't you? **/**

Astrid smirked. Marie knew her so well.

 **/To: Marie Skywalker080**

 **From: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **Astrid says:** …I love you! And if Seifer won't shut up, I'll kick his ass. **/**

It didn't take Marie as long to respond this time. Astrid killed two of the Dark Jedi and had tossed a frag grenade at Bandon before looking to see what she had said.

 **/To: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **From: Marie Skywalker080**

 **Marie says:** *sigh* the things I do for you. Fine. But if Seifer starts being an asshole I'm gone. And can we do the movie at your house? Renée has friends over. **/**

Marie had a huge family, boasting herself, five sisters, and her parents. Hangouts at her house tended to be punctuated by loud noises, interference from her parents, and the sense of not having enough room to breathe.

 **/To: Marie Skywalker080**

 **From: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **Astrid says:** no problem! You can come at 6:30. And I'll tell Seifer to behave lol.

 **/To: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **From: Marie Skywalker080**

 **Marie says:** See you then, friend!

Astrid smiled, sending out the same invitation to Seifer. She didn't need to send one to Fuu, Rai, or Vivi. It was an unspoken rule that wherever Seifer went, his gang would follow. By the time she finished Tatooine and was ready to take on Saul Kareth and the _Leviathan_ , Seifer had confirmed that he was coming as well. Content, Astrid settled into her game.

She lost track of time, only coming up for air when she heard her computer chime once again. She glanced back at it, surprised to see a message. She paused the game, interrupting a heated battle between her character and Darth Malak. She hoped it wasn't Marie cancelling on her. Her family was always insisting on spending time together, which often made Marie's attempts at having a social life die a bitter death. Peering at the screen, she read the message.

 **/To: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **From: DiZ**

 **DiZ says:** Keep your head down. They'll find you if you're not careful. **/**

Astrid stared at the screen before glimpsing at the name of the messenger. _Who's they? And what the hell does DiZ_ _mean?_ She leaned over the keyboard. "Who is this?" She asked aloud as she typed. It took a few seconds for the unknown user to respond.

 **/To: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **From: DiZ**

 **DiZ says:** DiZ **/**

Astrid snorted. _Not helpful._ She almost finished her response, but another message appeared before she could send it.

 **/To: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **From: DiZ**

 **DiZ says:** Search your feelings. You know that something's not right. But the more you question it, the closer they'll come. **/**

 _Did this guy just quote_ Star Wars _at me_? Astrid thought, struggling between laughing at the absurdity of it all and being completely freaked out. She swallowed, her mouth going dry as another message popped up.

 **/To: Astrid DarkSideRising**

 **From: DiZ**

 **DiZ says:** I promise, we'll tell you the truth soon. But for now you need to keep quiet. **/**

Astrid jumped about a foot in the air when the front door suddenly opened. "Astrid? You home, honey?" Her mom called, sounding tired. Astrid just about sprinted to the door. Her mom was balancing a box of pizza, her briefcase, and a bag of groceries, staggering towards the island. "Hey, honey…you okay?"

"Mom, come look at this!" She started back towards the living room, her heart thundering in her chest. "Come on!"

"Okay, okay, give me a second!" Adalyn set down her load and followed her, worry etched on her face. Astrid jabbed a finger at the screen, turning to look for herself.

The message was gone.

"What the _fuck_?!"

"Astrid!" Her mom scolded. "What is going on with you? What did you want to show me?" Adalyn looked at the screen, a small line appearing between her brows. "You invited your friends over without asking me…again?" Her mom didn't look impressed. Astrid opened her mouth to protest, to explain the mysterious message, but DiZ's words suddenly loomed large in her mind.

 _The more you question it, the closer they'll come._

 _Does he mean that creature?_ Astrid shivered. _Are there more like it?_

"Never mind. I guess it timed out." Astrid and her mom looked at each other for a long moment before her mom sighed. For once Astrid was glad she didn't push for more details. Once upon a time she would've demanded an explanation, but these days she seemed content to let things be.

"What time are your friends coming over?"

"6:30."

"Well, let's eat. We'll have a bit of time to tidy up after." Adalyn went to the island and sat down, opening the pizza box. Astrid followed, taking her own slice. She was quiet during dinner, allowing her mom to dominate the conversation. Astrid didn't have much to contribute anyway. Once they cleared the table they tidied up the living room, finishing just in time for the doorbell to ring.

"Hey, friend," Marie said as Astrid opened the door. Marie was always the first to arrive, and she always brought something to contribute. Tonight she'd brought three bags of chips, which Astrid quickly separated into bowls. They chatted until Seifer and the others arrived, and Astrid gestured them into the living room.

"What do we want to watch?" She asked.

"Looks like you had _Star Wars_ on the brain," Marie replied teasingly, pointing to the TV screen where the frozen image of her character fighting Darth Malak still stood. "I haven't seen _The Empire Strikes Back_ in a while."

"Oh yeah! That one's the best, y'know?" Rai exclaimed enthusiastically.

"I like that one too," Vivi said shyly, shuffling his feet. Vivi, of all her friends, fit in the least. He was timid, extremely soft-spoken, and one of the biggest sweethearts Astrid had ever known. He hung out with Seifer, Rai, and Fuu to try and toughen up, but Vivi never seemed to get stronger. If anything, his appearance in the group made him look even weaker. The enormous hat he always wore wobbled precariously on his head as he spoke. He'd once confided to her that it made him feel taller.

"Looks like it's decided," Seifer said grandly, with Fuu nodding her agreement.

As Astrid put the disk into her console, her friends settled in around her. She noticed that Seifer waited until Marie chose her seat before joining her on the couch. Marie's face went very still, and as she and Astrid made eye contact she raised an eyebrow. Astrid hid a smirk. Astrid had told her that it was obvious whenever she was annoyed about something, so Marie went to great lengths to control her face. She sat back with her arms folded, tucking her legs in close to her body so Seifer couldn't move closer without it looking suspicious. Astrid kept a sigh to herself. _It would be so cute if they got together._

Astrid sat down in her mom's chair, relaxing as the opening theme blasted through the speakers. The credits began to roll, relating how the rebellion was struggling against the renewed assault from the Empire and Darth Vader's obsession with finding Luke Skywalker. Astrid had seen the movie over a hundred times and never got tired of it.

The movie went on, and Astrid was enjoying herself immensely. All of her friends watched _Star Wars_ as obsessively as she did, so they were able to talk about it without ruining anything. "It can't be a coincidence that none of the Storm Troopers actually hit Luke," Marie commented at one point.

"But they're Storm Troopers," Rai argued. "And they're wearin' those helmets, y'know?"

"It doesn't matter that they're wearing helmets," Marie countered. "We've seen them actually hit their targets in other scenes."

"Vader could have ordered them to not hit him so he could meet Luke himself," Seifer offered. Astrid smiled as they discussed whether George Lucas had intentionally made the Storm Troopers miss in pivotal scenes. Something moved out of the corner of her eye, and as she turned to look out the window her heart lurched.

A hooded figure was looking at her.

Her stomach flipped, her heart suddenly in her mouth. She was overwhelmed by the same fear that had made her faint just yesterday. As she watched the figure lifted a hand, twiddling its fingers in greeting. A moment later it beckoned her to follow.

"Astrid!" She tore her eyes away, realizing that everyone was staring at her. "You're white as a ghost! Are you okay?" Marie demanded, standing up to go to her.

"That guy…in the black hood," she stammered. She pointed to the window, but the figure was gone. She jumped to her feet and crossed the room in two strides, shoving Vivi aside to get onto the couch and look outside.

There were two of them now, standing face to face. The skinnier of the two had his arms up, but the surrender seemed mocking. "Look! Don't you see them?!" Marie and Seifer came to her side, but in the time it took to blink they suddenly vanished as if they'd never been. Astrid stared, feeling her throat close up as that jittery sensation from earlier crawled through her skin.

"Astrid, there's no one there," Marie said slowly, worry plain on her face.

"Are you high?" Seifer demanded.

" _No_ ," Astrid exclaimed. "I swear, there were two guys _just_ standing there!"

"Well, they're gone now," Marie said reasonably, taking her hand and pulling her away from the window. "Maybe it was Setzer being weird. You know how he likes to screw with people's heads." Astrid shook her head, but allowed Marie to bring her back to her seat. The movie played on, and she only just paid attention to the plot. Even Darth Vader's " _I_ am your father" didn't bring goosebumps to her arms as it usually did. Astrid just couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. The nervous energy that had followed her the last two days crawled up and down her spine, making her tap her foot until Seifer irritably told her to stop. She knew she wasn't being a good host in the end, but couldn't bring herself to relax. By the end of the movie, her friends looked eager to go.

"You want to go for a walk tomorrow morning? I don't have to work until later," Marie said as they headed towards the door.

"Sure," Astrid said distractedly.

"Cool. I'll come by around ten. Make sure you're up by then," Marie said, somewhat teasing but mostly serious. She was smiling right up until Seifer volunteered to walk her home. "It's right down the road."

"It's dark out. Let me be a gentleman," Seifer said mockingly.

"You, a gentleman? When elephants fly, maybe." They bickered their way out the door, with Rai grinning apologetically and Fuu rolling her eyes.

"See you later, Astrid!" Vivi waved cheerily to her.

As she waved goodbye to her friends, she realized that she'd never finished talking to Roxas.

The man in the black cloak stood back, quickly deleting the message. He backed out of the settings concerning her and restored the screen back to its original state. He hoped DiZ wouldn't find out. It was dangerous to contact her like this, but if she kept going the way she was, she'd find out what was going on and inadvertently give the Nobodies another way in. They would tell her the truth eventually, but they needed to deal with Roxas first.

"Soon," he promised, reaching out to touch the screen. A pixelated image of a teenaged girl took up the left corner of the screen, and the image dominating the right side was of a sleeping boy with spiky hair. "Won't be long now, Sora."


	3. Chapter 3

**~Incinerate~**

 **Chapter 3 – Tension Rising**

" _Strange things are happening to me, ain't no doubt about it". Disney's Toy Story, "Strange Things"_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts II. None of its characters belong to me. I make no profit off this work of fiction. The song lyrics I use belong to The Walt Disney Company and its creators. This story is only to amuse me in my spare time and to hopefully be enjoyed by the ones who choose to read it.**

Astrid was dressed and ready to go when Marie knocked on the door.

"Hey! Glad to see you up for once," Marie teased. She was wearing red and black plaid shorts with a white V-neck t-shirt, her hair tied back in a low ponytail. "You ready?"

"Yep. Bye, Mom!" Astrid called behind her as she shut the door. "Hey, after, do you mind if we go find Roxas? I was talking to him yesterday and we never finished catching up." She'd rehearsed the line countless times, trying to ensure that her tone was casual enough to not raise suspicion. She was worried that the sender of the message would probably call her out on it, but Astrid knew she couldn't let another day go by without talking to Roxas.

"Sure," Marie agreed easily. "Let's start at the top of the hill and work our way down to the woods. That'll be a good walk." _Damn, no kidding!_ Astrid thought. Twilight Town's highest point was the train station at the top of the hill. Walking from there to the woods would be a solid hour. _Marie doesn't screw around with this stuff._ While Astrid typically took the tram to wherever she needed to go, Marie walked or biked everywhere. Astrid agreed despite her inner dread, and they set off for the station. They chatted amiably along the way about classes, the summer's end fair, and the Struggle tournament happening the next day.

"Do you know who signed up this year?"

"A bunch of younger kids. I know Seifer signed up, and I think Roxas and Hayner did, too." Marie folded her hands behind her back and stretched, looking like some weird bird. Several pops and cracks followed her stretch, and she sighed happily as she lowered her hands.

"That's disgusting," Astrid informed her.

"You should hear when I crack my toes," Marie said gleefully, cracking up at the revolted look on Astrid's face. Astrid couldn't help but join in. By that point they'd made it to Market Street, and Astrid spotted Pence and Olette, two of Roxas's friends. He didn't seem to be with them, so Astrid assumed he was with Hayner somewhere. _I can't believe I forgot about talking to him. He's the only one who noticed that creature, and maybe he's noticed other weird things going on._ Astrid glanced at Marie, wondering what would happen if she talked to Marie alone. _Screw you, DiZ, I'm going for it._

"Marie."

"Yeah?"

"Have you noticed anything weird going on lately?"

"Weird," Marie repeated. "Meaning…?" She moved her hand in a way that said Astrid could explain at any time.

"Like those guys in the black hoods yesterday," Astrid persisted. "I swear I saw them, but no one else seems to. And it's not just that, it's all sorts of things. The thing that cut me the other day, it was this weird silver creature." The words tumbled from her mouth. She told Marie everything that had happened over the last two days, even the strangeness of the messages from the mysterious DiZ. Marie was silent until she finished, her expression thoughtful. "You believe me, don't you?" Astrid demanded, suddenly terrified that she'd be dismissed yet again. She didn't know if she could take Marie not believing her.

"Of course I do!" They approached the large crack in the wall leading into the woods, Astrid's heart beginning to hammer in her chest. "I'm just trying to think about what it all means." Marie's brows furrowed. "You said the message told you not to question anything?"

"Yeah. That if I brought it up again, it would make those creatures reappear." They both stopped at the entrance to the woods, warily looking around. A long moment passed, and Marie abruptly chuckled, a relieved look on her face.

"Sorry, shitty time to laugh, but I was expecting something to jump out when you said that," she admitted.

"You and me both," Astrid said, feeling a confusing mix of relief and uncertainty. Marie was walking unafraid through the woods, and she was the one who screamed at jump scares whenever they watched horror movies. If Marie wasn't afraid, Astrid had no reason to be. But every step made her heart slam against her chest, thudding painfully.

"So this DiZ guy…he wants to keep you safe, I think."

"Safe? How is leaving me weird messages keeping me safe?" Astrid asked, baffled by Marie's logic. But Marie wasn't looking at her. She was staring off into space, her expression blank. She didn't respond. "Marie?" The jittery sensation Astrid was becoming accustomed to rushed over her again, racing over her skin. The back of her neck was suddenly icy cold. She could feel the tiny hairs there beginning to rise. Marie turned to her, her eyes utterly blank.

"You're in danger."

Fear erased the dead look in Marie's eyes. "Astrid!"

It was so quick that Astrid didn't see them coming. As she turned she saw the three silvery creatures already standing there, swaying back and forth eerily. Movement came from the corner of her eye, and she turned again, her heart lurching as she saw more and more plummeting from the trees. _Six, seven, eight…_

Ten of the creatures surrounded them.

Astrid froze, the fear bubbling up in her. Marie was visibly trembling, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of the creatures surrounding them. Two of the creatures sidled forward, twisting their bodies violently until, impossibly, they were walking on air. One of them shot forward with arms outstretched, spinning and winding as it hurtled towards them.

"Astrid!"

She screamed in horror as Marie abruptly moved in front of her, taking the blow. The force of the strike physically propelled her into Astrid, sending them both to the ground.

"Marie!" Astrid stared, feeling like she could be sick. The creature's hit had torn through Marie's shirt, two deep gashes that painted her white shirt red. She got to her knees, hugging Marie as carefully as she could, trying to cover her from more blows. The creature that had struck continued to move out of formation, swirling in the air. Astrid watched it, tears burning her eyes as she felt Marie's shoulders shaking with sobs.

Without warning two of the creatures sprang forward from the circle, their long limbs elongating to wrap around Marie's ankles. Astrid screamed again as Marie was yanked out from underneath her. She could only watch as Marie lifted her head, her eyes filled with terror as she was dragged away. Marie's cries of terror cut off abruptly, and the forest was silent.

"No!" Astrid got to her feet and tried to sprint through the circle, horror and fear pulsing through her in time with her heart. " _Marie! Marie, talk to me!"_

Three of the monsters lurched towards her and wound their long arms together, blocking her path. She tried to dart around them, but the creatures merely tightened their circle. " _Get the fuck out of my way!"_ She screamed, that jittery anxiety that had plagued her for days making her feel sick. _"Marie!"_

The creatures moved as one, their bound arms slamming into her chest. She flew back, nearly falling, but managing to keep her feet. She looked around, the creatures moving in ever closer, blocking her way out. It was hopeless…

"Heads up!"

Astrid turned in time to see something flying towards her. She caught it out of reflex, and looked down. It was a long, thin piece of metal, taller than she was, ending with a sharp point. The metal was white with jagged streaks of black winding down the pole. _A spear?_ "What am I supposed to do with this?" She said out loud, searching for the source of the voice.

She couldn't explain it, but she suddenly _felt_ the movement of the creatures behind her. She took a step back, pivoted, and slammed the point of the spear up, skewering one of the creatures in the neck. She vaulted the spear and the creature over her head, slamming it into the ground. Somehow _feeling_ the movement again, she whirled around and took three of them out as she completed the circle. She gripped the spear more readily, distantly feeling surprised at how natural it felt. The remaining six formed a hexagon around her, and two of them struck at the same time. She watched as they moved in opposite directions, ducking to the left as the right one lunged. She struck high as the left one attacked, catching it in the belly before whirling around and stabbing down onto the right one's back.

In a distant part of her mind, she wondered how in the world she was doing this. But it felt as natural as breathing, like a dance she'd learned long ago but hadn't forgotten.

She cried out as she stabbed downward, punching a hole through the creature's chest. It disappeared in a flash of silver light, just as the others had. She stood there, searching wildly, but none of the creatures remained. She was alone.

"I knew you still had it in you!"

She whirled around, readying herself for another attack. A figure in a black cloak held up its hands. "Whoa, easy there," the voice chided scornfully. The voice was distinctly male, low and lazy, drawing out each word.

 _It's one of the guys from yesterday!_ It was the same one who'd surrendered so mockingly. He'd held his arms up exactly like the man before her now.

As he moved forward Astrid backed up, suddenly overwhelmed by terror. She started to pant heavily, trying to breathe through the black spots forming over her eyes. _Not again!_ Her grip on the spear faltered, and her legs felt so shaky that she nearly collapsed.

"Stop. _Astrid._ " The hooded figure was suddenly inches away from her, gripping her shoulders tightly. "Don't let them do this to you," he urged, all traces of mockery gone. "Focus on me. Come on!" He shook her violently, her head snapping forward with the force of it. She gasped, blinded by terror, but heard what he'd said. _Someone's…doing this to me?_ With that thought she shook her head, pushing for control, forcing herself to look at him.

Green eyes glinted at her from underneath his hood.

In response the fear spiked, and she thought she was going to throw up.

 _No!_ _Let me GO!_

It was like swimming against the tide and coming out onto land. One moment there was incredible force pressing down on her from all sides, and the next she was suddenly light, lighter than air, and she staggered forward. The man caught her as she jerked and gagged, breathing as heavily as if she'd been sprinting.

The fear was gone.

"I thought so," the cloaked man said with satisfaction, letting her go. "Don't forget this, Astrid. _He's_ trying to control you."

"Who…" Astrid started again, the sudden lack of pressure making her feel unsteady. "Who are you?" Her scrambled thoughts caught up with her. _Marie! He must've been the one who sent those monsters!_ "What did you do to Marie?!" She gripped the spear tighter, strangely comforted by its weight in her hand.

The man didn't respond right away. Astrid shifted into a more secure stance. "I'll beat the answer out of you," she warned. She wasn't actually sure she could, but she couldn't just stand there and let him get away with hurting Marie. The figure let out a huff, the sound disappointed.

"Guess I shouldn't expect anything else."

Astrid jumped violently as a wall of blackness erupted behind the cloaked man. It swirled upward, coiling and twisting, until it formed a massive portal.

As Astrid looked at it her eyes and nose stung, her senses sharpened so abruptly that she couldn't keep track of it all. She could see layers upon layers to the portal, different threads binding the blackness to this place and others. She could smell it, its thick inky mass roiling over her tongue and down her throat. She could taste ashes and smoke and a poisonous edge she couldn't identify.

 _Darkness. It's darkness._

 _But how…how do I know that?_

"I can't stay long, Astrid. He's got eyes and ears everywhere. But remember what happened here, fight what he's doing to you," the figure called. "And watch out for Roxas, will ya? He's got plans for him."

"What are you talking about?" She shouted, but before she could ask anything else, the cloaked man stepped back into the darkness. The threads of the portal reached forward eagerly, tying themselves to his body before collapsing back into the ground. The darkness disappeared, and the forest became silent.

It was like the man had never been there. There was no trace of the monsters, no sign of Marie's blood. Astrid's heart jumped.

"Marie! _Marie!"_ She took several steps back along the path, shaking her head frantically. _The forest is too big. I'll never search it all in time!_ "Marie, hold on! I'm coming! I'm getting help!"

As Astrid turned to run, the spear in her hands disappeared. Her fingers twitched, and she was unexpectedly hit by loss. She looked at her hand before violently shaking her head. _I'll find it later!_

She was sure she'd never run so fast in her life. She burst out of the forest and into the Sandlot. She spotted Seifer and his friends instantly. Seifer was shouting to someone far away, shaking his fist after them.

"Seifer! Seifer, come with me! Marie needs help!" She nearly cannoned into him, barely able to stop herself in time.

"What? Why?" Seifer demanded, bracing her as she swayed, her head abruptly light. _NO! FUCK OFF!_ She screamed in her mind, feeling that creeping pressure working its way through her. It remained briefly, pulsing underneath her skin, before fading.

"Me, me and Marie were going for a walk. We went into the woods, and these fucking monsters showed up! They hurt Marie and dragged her off! Come on, we need to find her!" She grabbed his wrist and started towards the woods, only to be jerked forward. Surprised, she looked back at him. Seifer had shaken off her grip easily, and was staring at her with genuine concern.

"Astrid, stop! What are you talking about?"

"We don't have time for this! Marie could be anywhere by now! I need your help!"

"You're not making any-"

"SEIFER!" Astrid screamed so loudly that her throat felt raw. "Stop _fucking_ around and come with me! She was taken, she's _gone!"_

Seifer grabbed her, forcibly spinning her around. "Look! Look right there!"

Astrid did, and couldn't believe her eyes. She sagged against Seifer, feeling herself start to tremble.

"Hey! Where've you been?"

Marie was approaching at a light job, waving happily.

"Marie's right _there._ What the fuck's wrong with you?" Seifer let her go. Astrid stood perfectly still, aware of her heart pounding against her ribs, her unsteady breaths.

Marie's white shirt was pristine, without a hint of the attack. She was smiling, though a little uncertainly, as she came up to them. Astrid flinched as she tried to hug her, skidding back several steps.

"I thought we were going for a walk today," Marie said, her smiling slipping. "Are you okay?"

"Marie," Astrid started weakly, feeling like she might pass out. "Tell me this was just a sick joke." Marie blinked, sharing an uneasy look with Seifer.

"I would, if I knew what you were talking about," she replied slowly. "Astrid, what's wrong? You're, like, _white_."

Astrid stared, unable to speak. She slowly shook her head, before surging forward, grabbing Marie and turning her around. "Hey! What the _hell_?!" Marie yelled, flailing wildly as Astrid pulled the back of her shirt. Astrid looked down at her back, choking on a gasp.

No marks. Nothing other than Marie's tanned skin.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Seifer ripped her away from Marie. "What's wrong with you?!"

"This isn't right! I saw it! She was hurt! I was _RIGHT THERE_!"

The world flinched.

Astrid couldn't think of any other way to describe it. It was as if the entire world suddenly jumped, rippling with silver rifts. She was overcome by that pressure, her head feeling like it was being slowly ripped in half. She pressed her hands against her head, but it didn't stop the pain or the weakness in her legs. She distantly felt herself fall, but barely felt the impact. The agony became worse, feeling like someone digging a sharp blade into the wound and tearing into her.

Her eyes blurring with tears, she saw something she couldn't explain.

Seifer, Marie, and the others were frozen. Marie's mouth was open, her expression disturbed. Seifer's arm was lifted up as if to shove someone away. Fuu stood with her arms folded, unmoving, and Vivi and Rai simply stared at nothing.

Above their heads, in the sky far above, a single white bird was caught in midflight, wings spread. It should've fallen, but it was held up by an invisible force. _Caught in invisible strings,_ Astrid thought blearily, the pain making it hard to breathe. The green-eyed stranger had told her to fight it, but the pain –

 _Icy cold pain in her chest. She stared down, the horror slowly creeping in, as she saw the cold silver of the blade buried in her skin –_

 _Feeling blood against her teeth as his dismissive punch sent her flying, evil laughter that WASN'T HIM coming from his mouth –_

 _Her throat closing up, unable to scream, as lightning racked her body. Muscles spasmed and clenched, her eyes jiggled in their sockets, and light burned so brightly that it seared flesh and bone –_

Astrid gasped, her chest constricted so tightly that she couldn't breathe. She hunched over, hands reaching up to her throat as she abortively tried to take in air. The pressure released so suddenly that she gagged, desperately gulping down air.

It was a long time before her chest stopped hurting. It was longer before she realized that she wasn't at the Sandlot.

She was on her bed, in her room.

 **Stay here.**

She cringed. She stayed on her side, breathing slowly, trying to keep the fear away. _Who's there?_

 **Stay here.**

She nodded, not knowing if the voice could see her, but not daring to question further. She stayed on her side, unable to stop herself from crying.

"Do you really think that was necessary?"

"She still doesn't recognize the danger. She needs to understand that we will keep her safe."

"She won't see it that way. If she ever finds out, she'll say we kept her prisoner."

"I doubt she ever will. But this is what's best."

An uncomfortable silence, broken only by the sounds of the computer, grew from his words. The elder turned back towards the monitors, his uncovered eye moving from the far left screen to the middle.

"The restoration's almost done. We could take her out. We could always make it so that he forgets her."

"At this point it would be too dangerous to try and repress his mind. It may affect Sora if we were to tamper further with Roxas." The elder gave a minute shake of his head. "We cannot allow that to happen. Unless she puts herself into harm's path, I won't remove her from the simulation."

The second figure straightened, his body emanating tension. "So much for keeping her safe."

"I do what I must!" The elder got to his feet, his voice like thunder. "You know as well as I that this is the only way! I won't let one girl ruin all I've accomplished! Sora is the important element, here!"

The second figure, cloaked entirely in black, refused to answer. The elder sighed heavily. "You understand the burden of sacrifice, my friend. You know what must be done."

After a long, painful silence, the second figure nodded. The elder turned back towards the screens, and the cloaked figure walked out of the room.

 _I know you understood before,_ he thought sadly. _I promise, I'll tell you everything one day._

 _I just hope you can forgive me._


End file.
